MATCH ZONE

A Hull City will play in an FA Cup semi-final for the first time in 84 years next month. They must wish they could play Sunderland every week.

For the third time this season, Steve Bruce masterminded victory over his former club and three goals in nine second-half minutes booked a last-four Yorkshire derby against Sheffield United at Wembley on April 12.

The victory sparked a pitch invasion and raucous cheers around the KC Stadium as Hull supporters celebrated the semi-final draw which kept them apart from Barclays Premier League heavyweights Arsenal.

Bruce said: ‘Managers, coaches, players come and go. The people you’re happy for are the supporters. It’s the 1930s since we were last in a semi-final and I can’t see many making trip who were there for that one. Let’s enjoy it. I hope we make it a fantastic occasion for them. A big Yorkshire derby at Wembley will be terrific.’

VIDEO Scroll down for post-match reaction

Heading to Wembley: David Meyler celebrates his goal by headbutting the corner-flag one week on from the controversy in which Newcastle manager Alan Pardew put his forehead in the player's face

Revenge: Meyler dispossessed Lee Cattermole before running clear and slotting home - the pair had clashed earlier in the game

Old boy: Meyler's strike was against the club with which he made his Premier League debut

Matt finish: Matty Fryatt completed the scoring as Hull enjoyed a 3-0 victory to book their semi-final place

Head boy: Curtis Davies climbs above Sunderland's John O'Shea to head Hull's opener

There is to be no Wembley return for Gus Poyet’s Sunderland side who were a shadow of the team that gave Manchester City a Capital One Cup final scare a week earlier and restored some pride and optimism to Wearside.

The Sunderland manager made six changes to his Wembley side, and lived to regret a decision described on Twitter as ‘an insult to travelling supporters’ by the A Love Supreme fanzine.

Never in the game for the entire 90 minutes, they looked like a team with a raging cup hangover.

Sunderland’s FA Cup exit means they have missed out on another Wembley trip as well as European football next season. Instead, they must now concentrate on Premier League survival, with a critical home clash with Crystal Palace up next on Saturday.

Poyet could not even look to the bench for inspiration. A minute after his double substitution which was wildly cheered by the 4,000 travelling fans — Adam Johnson and Fabio Borini on for Emanuele Giaccherini and Ignacio Scocco — Sunderland were behind.

Defender John O’Shea, having first given away an unnecessary free-kick, was outjumped for Tom Huddlestone’s cross by Curtis Davies, who headed home.

Two more goals followed in nine minutes. David Meyler muscled Lee Cattermole off a bouncing ball and, hell-bent on a memorable celebration, powered through on goal himself before slotting the ball past Oscar Ustari.

History: Hull's fans invaded the pitch after reaching their first FA Cup semi-final since 1930

The former Sunderland midfielder, victim
of Newcastle manager Alan Pardew’s celebrated headbutt attack a week
earlier, dished out similar treatment to the corner flag.

‘Someone
must have told him to do that because he didn’t think of that,’ joked
Bruce. ‘It is his week. He took it on the chin, he didn’t bleat in the
papers, just got on with it. He has had two horrible knee injuries, he’s
ex-Sunderland and the goal is typical of him because you don’t expect
him to get anywhere near the ball, but he does.’

Meyler said: ‘It (the Pardew incident) is done and dusted now. He’s apologised and it’s forgotten. The lads were cheering me on back home to do it (the celebration) for a bit of craic.’

SUPER STAT

Hull City last reached the FA Cup semi-final in 1930. They drew 2-2 with Herbert Chapman’s Arsenal at Elland Road, then lost 1-0 in the replay at Villa Park. Hull were relegated from Division Two on the final day of that season on goal average.

Hull’s third goal came thanks to Cattermole, who played an awful back pass into the path of Matty Fryatt, who calmly slipped the ball past Ustari.

Poyet, whose son Diego was also knocked out of the competition while playing for Charlton against Sheffield United, refused to make excuses, preferring to concentrate on the match with Palace.

He said: ‘I invite every single Sunderland fan to fill the stadium because this is the key moment.‘We didn’t play well, didn’t create enough and we are out. I am not going to analyse it because it will sound like excuses. Now every player has to defend Sunderland to the best of his ability. If we are good enough, we will stay up.’

At fault: Cattermole (33) was robbed by Meyler (7) as he raced clear to score Hull's second

Old friends? Cattermole and Meyler were team-mates at Sunderland but the pair clashed during the first half

Protest: Cattermole isn't happy after seeing yellow for his challenge on Meyler

Tussle: Ignacio Scocco of Sunderland tackles Hull's Matthew Fryatt

BPoyet managed to keep 11 players on the pitch for the first time against Hull, despite his best efforts to fall out with referee Craig Pawson.

Sunderland’s boss lost his composure after Meyler’s goal and pushed a steward, although Hull City said last night no further action will be taken.

Pawson’s display was to prove the least of Poyet’s worries. Sunderland had one weak shot on target from Scocco to show for their so-called efforts all match.

In fact, Hull could have been three-up at the break. Maynor Figueroa’s shot hit the crossbar, Fryatt could only direct a diving header wide of the post and keeper Ustari saved Sone Aluko’s weak penalty after the playmaker fell under Seb Larsson’s challenge.